


Like Two Birds of a Feather Would Be

by kaybohls



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Armitage Hux Being An Asshole, Best Friends, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Smut, Die Hard References, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Forgive their stupidity, Hallmark Christmas movie marathon, Idiots in Love, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Marriage Proposal, New York City, Pop Culture, Rey is a bad cook, Reylo - Freeform, Reylo Christmas, Reylo Christmas Fic Fest, Reylo In New York, Reylo in Brooklyn, Roommates, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, baking gone wrong, proposal gone wrong, smutty fluff, these two are clueless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 05:36:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17115413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaybohls/pseuds/kaybohls
Summary: Ben hadn’t planned on it, falling in love with his best friend.  It happened right before his eyes.  The girl sitting next to him on the couch, who he used to chat about the really awkward dates he’d go on, transformed into the person he wanted to be kissing at the end of the night.  It was an electric feeling-like he had touched a live wire- and he suddenly realized that things were going to change in a big way.





	1. It Had to be You

**Author's Note:**

> [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144005946@N02/46376208782/in/dateposted-public/)

Rey Niima shook the snowflakes off her wool coat as she swept inside the darkened restaurant, late, as usual. She slid the plum-colored fabric over her shoulders and graciously handed it over to the coat check attendant, tucking the ticket he gave her into her clutch. She glanced around the softly-lit dining room, looking for her companion. Their eyes met and the tall, handsome man beamed at her as she gave a small wave and a smile,

 

“Can I help you, miss? This establishment is reservations, only,” the hostess sneered at her haughtily.

“Actually, darling, I’m meeting someone. He’s just over there, so if you’d let me by, that would be great.”

“Name?”

“Armitage Hux.”

The hostesses icy demeanor immediately melted at the mention of the name,

“Mr. Hux? Oh, I do apologize! This way, please,” the host bumbled with a dip of her head, leading Rey into the dining room. She smiled to herself, rolling her eyes at the girl’s sudden change of attitude. 

 

At times, making it in New York was all about the connections a person had- Armitage Hux had them all. Rey had met the man when she was assigned to photograph the subject of an article on the up and coming members of Wall Street. When she made her way to First Order Holdings, she didn’t think she’d to come face to face with a charming and handsome man in his mid-thirties. Their interaction had been brief and unexpectedly flirtatious and they bonded over them both being British transplants in New York. He smoothly asked for her card at the end of their session and he called her that afternoon to ask her out to dinner. 

They had spent the last six months together, seeing each other a few times a week when he’d take her on postcard-worthy dates. Six months of fancy dinners, broadway shows and picnics in Central Park. She would spend the weekend at his flat on Fifth Avenue, admiring the view of the park from the towering apartment. In daylight and on the surface, their relationship was picture perfect, but at night, behind closed doors, it lacked heart. Their sex life was mechanical, at best, without any fire or substance. The most emotion that would be exchanged between them was when he would weep into her shoulder when he came. It wasn’t love, that was to be sure, but Rey couldn’t deny that she enjoyed being spoiled by him. He was a kind man, if not a bit arrogant, but that was what helped make him so successful. 

Rey swept through the posh dining room, flickering candlelight and the soft hum of instrumental Christmas music enveloping her in the graceful ambiance of the place. Armitage stood with a smile and softly placed a kiss on her lips as he pulled her chair out from the table,

 

“Hello, my darling.”

“I’m so sorry I’m late, people in the city can’t drive, let alone in the snow,” she said with a guilty grin, taking a generous drink from the dry gin martini that was waiting for her.

“It’s no matter, you’re here now, aren’t you?” Armitage smiled as he gracefully sat across from her at the table.

 

They quietly made their way through seven courses of delectable food in impossibly small portions with a jaw-dropping price tag, discussing their holiday plans, work, and the play they had seen together a few days prior. Rey was absentmindedly pushing around bits of a deconstructed, chocolate hazelnut…something when she heard the swell of romantic violin music a saw a fleet of waiters with armfuls of red roses in their arms emerging from the kitchen,

 

“Oh god, it looks like some poor fool is about to propose doesn’t it? I feel bad for the fellow, she’ll probably say no. It’s heartbreaking, really,” Rey giggled. Her eyes widened when she looked across the table at an Armitage who’s cheeks were flushed a deep scarlet. He slowly stood as the army of waiters arrived at their table, bringing with them a pair of champagne flutes and the smell of roses that washed over them like a blanket. Clearing his throat loudly, he lifted Rey’s shaking hand into his own,

 

“My darling, Rey. The last few months that we have spent together have been a whirlwind. I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together and I can see us galavanting across Manhattan for the rest of my life with you on my arm. I feel so very strongly towards you and I can no longer hide my affections,” he spoke loudly, making the entire restaurant turn their attention towards their table. The color drained from Rey’s face as Armitage took a step towards her and sunk down on one knee,

“Oh, Armitage, no…”

“My dearest,”

“Armitage stop. Please get up,” she begged.

“Rey,” he continued, pulling a red, Cartier box from inside his jacket.

“Armie, please,”

“Would you do me the honor of,”

“For the love of God would you please get up off your knees,” she hissed, completely mortified. Armitage seemed to finally get the message, looking back at the hoard of waiters and silently jerking his head to tell them to take the flowers away. He slowly stood, dusting off the knees of his Armani suit, deposited the red box back into his jacket pocket and casually sat back down in his seat as the dining room returned to a hushed din. 

“I don’t understand, I thought we were having fun?”

Rey offered him a sympathetic smile,

“Yes, Armitage, I…we…were having fun. I never would have gone on all these amazing New York adventures without you, but you can’t possibly think that that’s a reason to get married? We hardly know each other!”

“I know you!” Armitage spluttered incredulously, “You’re beautiful, and talented, and…and…I love you!”

“I’m beautiful and talented? That’s what you know?” Rey scoffed, “You don’t love me. You love your job. And your cat.”

“You leave Millicent out of this!” he shrieked, his face turning as red as his hair with each passing moment.

“Armitage, I’ve had an incredible time with you over the last few months. We’ve been on these beautiful, picture perfect dates, but that’s all it’s been. These perfectly orchestrated moments, nothing real or of meaning. I need someone you knows me, who wants to know me. Who loves me. I don’t know if that’s you.”

Armitage’s face turned sour,

“You know, there isn’t a girl in town who wouldn’t kill to be in your shoes! You were nothing when I met you, and you could have been somebody with me. You’d have been able to meet people you never would have or had the career you were hoping for without me. You’ll be sorry when you go back to being a nobody!”

Rey let out an exasperated laugh and chewed on her lip, reaching for the sparkling champagne flute, draining the glass as she stood from the table,

“You’re right, I’m nothing. No one important. I have no place in your story, but for the right person, I won’t be nothing to them. Why don’t you go find yourself a proper piece of arm candy, Armitage, and cry into their pillow instead of mine.” Rey turned on her heel and strode purposefully out of the dining room, leaving a flabbergasted Armitage alone at the candlelit table. 

 

____________________________

 

One subway ride and a long, snowy walk through Brooklyn Heights, Rey finally made her way up the front stoop of her apartment, turning the key in the lock and shoving the door open with her shoulder. She walked up the three flights of stairs to Apartment C and trudged through the door. She toed off her snow-covered boots and sidled into the cozy living space and plopped down onto the couch next to her overgrown tree of a roommate, tucking her feet underneath her. Ben Solo sat with his ridiculously long legs perched on a rickety coffee table, laden with a six pack of beer and an open box of pizza. He looked at her quizzically, 

“Hey, I didn’t expect you home until at least tomorrow, how’d dinner go?” Rey gave him a look and snatched the cold beer from his hand, wordlessly guzzling down the bottle in its entirety. Ben let out a nervous, strangled laugh, O dpn“That well, huh?”

“How is Die Hard a Christmas movie, again?” she scoffed with a disgusted look at the tv screen as Bruce Willis tread barefoot over shards of broken glass. She reached out and grabbed a massive slice of pizza from the box on the table and took a huge bite,

“Hey, John McClane is a national treasure. Don’t change the subject, what happened?” Ben feigned hurt, popped open another beer and took a healthy swig. Rey chewed her pizza thoughtfully and stated with her mouth full,

“He proposed.”

Ben snorted, choking loudly on his beer,

“He what?! What did you say?”

“Do you really think I’d be here in Brooklyn if I had said yes? Really, Solo, I thought you were smarter than that,” she rolled her eyes, “He would have left me in four months anyways, I did us both a favor.”

“Shit, I’m sorry, kid. Come here,” he lifted his arm, making room for her against his side. Rey leaned into him, relieved to be home with her best friend. She wiggled against him and laid her head against his flannel-covered chest, letting out a wide yawn,

“Tell me a story?” 

Ben smiled affectionately and quietly laughed as he began to tell a story in his deep, rumbling voice,

“‘Twas the night before Christmas and up in the tower, everyone was partying except for one wallflower. John McClane missed his wife, things just weren’t the same since she’d moved West and changed her last name. He tried to win her back, but still she said no, when unbeknownst to them, there was trouble below. A truck pulled up and who should disembark, but fourteen men who’s intensions were dark.” It wasn’t long into his tale that he heard soft snores coming from under his arm as Rey had fallen fast asleep. He nuzzled his long nose in her hair with a smile, gently putting his free arm under her knees and hoisted her easily off the couch. Holding her close to his chest, she let a sleepy whine and wound her arms around his neck. He quietly strode down the short hall to her bedroom, shuffling into the small space and softly laid her down on her bed. Ben slowly pulled her arms free from her coat and covered her with a blanket. Reaching out one of his hands, he brushed the chestnut waves from her face and placed the ghost of a kiss on her forehead,

 

“Goodnight, kid. I love you.”

 

______________________________

 

Ben hadn’t planned on it, falling in love with his best friend. It happened right before his eyes. The girl sitting next to him on the couch, who he used to chat about the really awkward dates he’d go on, transformed into the person he wanted to be kissing at the end of the night. It was an electric feeling-like he had touched a live wire- and he suddenly realized that things were going to change in a big way. He had figured it out just a few months after they’d met.

The first time he saw her, the moment was over in an instant. He was waiting on the 32nd floor for the lift in The New York Times building where he worked as a staff writer. The bell dinged as the doors opened and there she was, like a breath of fresh air in the dank, cold office. His honeyed brown eyes met her hazel ones and she offered him a wide, friendly smile before sliding past him and the smell of her wafted over him like a soft cloud, intoxicating in it’s potency. She was like breakfast on Christmas morning, all vanilla, cinnamon, and sweet maple syrup. It was exhilarating and not something he would ever forget. 

Ben saw her again a couple weeks later at a coffee shop near his apartment that he often frequented. He enjoyed the serene atmosphere on Saturday afternoons that made it easy to work. Maz’s was quiet that day when the bell on the door rang and he lifted his gaze from his laptop and saw her breeze into the shop, the springtime wind making her chestnut hair flutter around her face in soft waves. Trying not to gape at how the yellow sundress she wore hugged the curves of her lean frame, he cleared his throat and turned his attention back to his work and his flat white. He peered up from his lashes as he took a long sip of his drink and saw as she chatted with Maz, the owner of the establishment. He couldn’t help but notice the dusting of freckles across the tops of her tanned shoulders and the way her face lit up with a glorious wide smile as she laughed at something the old woman had said. 

A few weeks had gone by and he had seen her each Saturday afternoon at the shop. Sometimes she would stay, other times she would sweep in and back out in a flash. He always hoped for the former so he’d have the chance to sneak a glance or two as she focused on her computer, quietly sipping her tea. One afternoon, the old woman who ran the shop sidled up to him and bumped him with her hip,

“You should talk to her.”

“Maz, I wouldn’t even begin to know what to say,” he scoffed, exasperatedly running his fingers through his long, dark hair, “She probably has a boyfriend. I mean, look at her.”

“Well, you won’t know unless you ask, kiddo,” the old woman stared at him from behind her goggle-like glasses with what felt like thousands of years of wisdom looking back at him. 

More time went by and the cold wind started to swirl through the borough, bringing with it an autumnal chill and the glorious reds and oranges of the fall colors. Ben was in the shop on a Saturday afternoon, like usual. He stood in front of a community bulletin board, eyeing the cluster of colorful flyers in front of him. There was everything from concert posters, babysitting adverts, and music lessons. His gaze settled on a bright green flyer in the center:

In search of room to rent. Looking for someone clean, not creepy, with a love of pizza and beer. Contact Rey @ reyniima92@icloud.com

He chuckled quietly to himself, wondering if he should contact this Rey. A mutual love of pizza was a must when it came to a roommate. He lifted his own ad up to the board and attached it to the cork with an extra push pin.

Room for rent. Brooklyn Heights, clean, quiet. Has walls and a ceiling! Electric and heat too! Shared kitchen and bathroom. Contact Ben @ KyloBen66@icloud.com

Ben hadn’t planned to be searching for a roommate, but his best friend from college, Poe, had recently moved in with his girlfriend, Jessika. He had tried for some time to make it work on his own with the rent, but things were starting to get tight and he wasn’t willing to give up his place in the coveted neighborhood or ask for help from his parents, so new roommate was his only option. 

“Flat white, right?” a voice like a bell interrupted his thoughts. Ben turned his attention from the board and came face to face with the mystery girl he’d admired for months. She gazed up at him quizzically, holding a paper cup towards him. He blinked at her for a few moments before finally remembering how to speak,

“Uh, yeah, yeah, that’s me.”

“Ah, he speaks! Maz sent it over for you,” she teased, passing the drink into his large hand with a smile. Their fingers brushed briefly and Ben passed the drink to his other hand, flexing his fingers inward to hold onto the feeling of her skin on his, 

“Oh! Someone with a room to rent, fantastic! I haven’t had anyone respond to my ad yet.”

“You’re Rey?” Ben questioned, “I like pizza and beer, you know,” He instantly regretted saying it as soon as it left his mouth. How was it that he somehow forgot how to speak now that she was here in front of him, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup and all?

“What? Oh, my ad! Is the room to rent yours?” Rey laughed out loud at the absurdity of his outburst and the silliness of her ad.

“I’m Ben, Ben Solo,” he reached out his hand to shake hers. She slid her slim hand into his proffered one and gave it a slight shake and a gentle squeeze, her face lighting up in that glorious grin. His heart beat loudly in his chest and he was hoping she couldn’t hear how frazzled being around her made him feel. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Ben Solo.”

The two of them sat together at a table in the café for ages, getting to know each other. He talked about his family and his love for the written word and calligraphy. She told him about her upbringing in the the London foster system and how she had made her way to New York. She was a freelance photographer which had explained why he had seen her at the office. Rey told him about her fascination with fixing broken things and would often buy and restore antique cameras. The two hit it off completely and they both left the shop that night after tearing down their respective ads from the bulletin board. 

Living with Rey was as easy as breathing. They quickly settled into an effortless routine, as if they had always been together. It wasn’t long before their relationship grew beyond roommates to friends. Best friends, even. She knew every quirk of his, from her favorite movies, books, and even foods. He knew that she couldn’t function during the day unless she started off with a massive breakfast. Ben started waking up early to cook for her. The first time he did, she let out a happy squeal and jumped into his arms to give him an appreciative hug that he happily returned, realizing then that everything felt right when Rey was around. 

He tried hard to keep his attraction for her under wraps, but Rey didn’t ‘make it easy. As the months went by and they grew more comfortable around each other, she seemed to develop an allergy to pants. He tried to focus as he sat on the couch, typing away on his laptop, when she sidled in one morning, wearing only an oversized teeshirt. His breath caught silently in his throat as she reached on her tiptoes for a coffee mug, the act lifting the hem of her shirt just enough that he could see a glimpse of red panties and the soft curve of her ass.

 

_Fuck. This girl is going to end you, Solo._

 

Rey remained oblivious to his lingering looks for a long time until it was brought to her attention by an outside source. It was late springtime on a Saturday night and she had been living with Ben in their cozy Brooklyn Heights apartment for over a year. She was curled up on the couch next to her best girlfriend, Rose, chatting about Rose’s new boyfriend, Finn. The women were completely absorbed in their conversation but both became suddenly speechless when Ben emerged from his room, dressed from head to toe in a sharp black suit and tie,

“Holy shit, Solo! Hot date tonight?” Rose gasped. 

“Oh, you know, the hottest,” he drawled as he straightened his tie, “Actually, I have an interview with some Wall Street big wig.” Rey jumped up from her seat excitedly and ran over to Ben,

“Is it Hux? I’ve got a session with him on Monday! I’m actually a little nervous about it, I’ve heard he’s a major ass,” she murmured as she dusted off his shoulders and ran her hands down his lapel. She kept her eyes focused on the fabric covering his wide chest as Ben eyes never left her,

“You’re going to do great, kid, ass or not,” he gave her a wide, toothy grin and planted a playful kiss on her cheek, “Okay! I’m off! Don’t stay up past your bedtime, girls.”

“Wear a condom!” Rose guffawed as he strode out the door, turning her attention to Rey as soon as the door latched shut, “So, have you two slept together yet?”

“What.”

“You heard me! Have you two slept together yet? You know, boinked, shagged, fucked,” she paused for dramatic effect, waggling her eyebrows, “Had coitus?” Rey laughed loudly, her cheeks flushed red,

“Rose, come on, we don’t think of each other that way. We’re just friends.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Rose retorted with a snort, “Maybe you don’t. Have you ever noticed the way he looks at you? The man has it bad, Rey.” Rey sat down next to her friend, melting into the couch cushions in embarrassment, 

“He doesn’t look at me any sort of way,” Rey shrugged, “I doubt that he ever would. We’re just friends.”

“Babe. Everyone sees it. Everyone but you, apparently!”

“I’d really love to stop talking about how my best friend is supposedly in love with me, thank you very much! Tell me more about Finn!” 

 

Rey was successful in changing the subject as Rose eagerly continued to tell Rey how wonderful her fresh new love was. She tried hard to get the thoughts that Rose has planted in her brain but failed miserably. The thoughts of how everyone but her seemed to see how Ben looked at her followed her into her dreams that night. They still plagued her the next afternoon, so she decided to go for a run to clear her head. 

Rey found momentary sweet relief as her feet pounded the pavement to the beat the the music that blared in her ears. She’d nearly run across the entire borough by the time she made it back home. Shouldering her way through the door, she hung her keys on the hook by the door and noticed that Ben’s weren’t hanging there. Grateful for a moment alone in the apartment, she swayed her body to the music and slowly stripped the sweat-soaked tank top over her head and discarded it on the floor. She shimmied her shorts down her bottom to the music, flinging the fabric across the room. Feeling free, she continued to prance around the room to the music that still played in her ears, peeling her undergarments off her body that glistened with sweat, leaving them on the floor with the rest of her workout clothes. She promised to herself that she’d pick them up after her shower, before Ben got home. She hopped to the beat down the hall and gave a little jig as she reached for the knob of the bathroom door but the door swung open wide before she had the chance and she collided with a wide, bare, and muscular chest, 

“Holy shit, Rey! Why are you naked?” Ben bellowed in alarm, averting his eyes with his free hand as he tried desperately to hang onto the towel that was draped around his impossibly carved hips,

“Jesus Christ, Ben, why are you wet?!” Rey screamed, covering herself with her hands, “Don’t look!”

“I’m not looking! Let me by and you can have the damn bathroom,” he tried to squeeze by with his eyes clamped shut but the pair just awkwardly shuffled back and forth in the tiny space before Ben let out a growl in frustration. He circled her waist with his free arm, lifted her off the floor and turned them around, transplanting her on the floor by the shower. She gaped at him, completely flabbergasted as he reached out from the hall to pull the door shut with a wicked grin on his face and a gleam in his eye. 

She had left the apartment before he woke up the next morning. Ben hadn’t thought that the incident was that big of a deal but Rey had thoroughly avoided him the rest of the day, turning beet red any time that he walked into the room and fleeing with an adorable squeak. He’d tried to put the moment out of his mind for the sake of their friendship but he’d be lying if he said he’d forgotten about it completely. He’d barely caught a glimpse but the golden gleam of her naked skin was burned into his mind. The feeling of his bare arm wrapped around her would linger for the rest of forever. 

 

Rey didn’t speak to him until the next day.

 

Ben strode in from the pouring summer rain into the warm mahogany wrapped lobby of the New York Times and shook the raindrops from his black umbrella. Making his way to the lift, he pressed the up button. The bell dinged and the doors slid open and revealed the familiar beautiful face of his favorite brunette. Her eyes grew wide and her cheeks flushed as she let out an alarmed squeak and dashed past him in a flash, hugging her camera bag under her arm. 

“Rey!” Ben chased her towards the doors and reached for her arm with his large hand but she slipped from his grasp and bolted out the door into the stormy weather outside. He watched her for a moment from inside the lobby as she desperately tried to shield her bag from the rain while she tried in vain to hail a cab. Ben sprinted through the doors towards her, his feet splashing in the water on the pavement as he opened his umbrella, shielding her from the rain. Huddled together under the tiny umbrella, they were only a breath apart as Rey wiped the rainwater from her eyes. His eyes searched her face, 

“Talk to me, please. I can’t stand this tension between us. It really wasn’t that big of a deal,” he implored her, “It was just me.”

“It was a big deal to me, okay?” Rey cried out as tears began to fall from her eyes, blending in seamlessly with the drops of water that covered her freckles, “because it WAS you! I…I don’t want anything to mess this up. We have such a good thing going on here, Ben.” She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

Ben lifted his hand to brush a stray tear from her lower lashes, his heart hammering in his chest as he took a step closer to her under the umbrella. He cupped her cheek in his large hand, running his thumb over her soft skin and wiping the rain away. He leaned down slowly and gazed deeply into her eyes, mashing his lips together in a line as he thought about exactly what he wanted to say to her,

“You could never mess this up. You have me for forever, kid. I love you.” Her eyes darted back and forth between his anxiously as she took a deep breath,

“I love you too, for forever,” she lifted her chin with a small smile, releasing the breath shakily as Ben slowly lowered his face to hers, the sounds of the cars thundering across the rain soaked pavement drowning out the sound of his pounding heart,

“Forever,” Ben whispered, barely a breath away. He closed his eyes and brushed his nose against hers and ever so slowly began to close the distance between their lips before the muffled sound of the Spice Girls “Wannabe” echoed out from Rey’s jacket. She jerked away from him in a flash and yanked the offending device from her pocket and lifted it to her ear,

“Hello? Yes, this is she. Oh, hello again,” her face split into a wide grin as her cheeks flushed a soft pink, “Yes, I think that would be lovely. Pick me up at the office, yes. Okay, I will see you then. Bye.”

Ben’s heart sank when he saw the bashful smile on her face and the way she chewed on her lip with a sparkle in her eye,

“Hot date?” 

She lifted her eyes to meet his and gave him a sympathetic smile,

“Yes, actually,” she breathed, “I, er, sort of hit it off with a client. I really didn’t think he’d call so soon, but we are going out to dinner tomorrow. I should really get going, I have another shoot in an hour,”

Released from the momentary trance between them, Ben lifted his eyes to the street and held his arm out to hail a taxi for her trying hard to play it cool. A bright yellow, checkered cab pulled up to the curb and Ben reached out to open the door for her,

“Who’s the lucky guy? He’d better take you someplace nice,” he drawled lazily, back in the gentlemanly, best friend mode.

“Armitage Hux,” she grinned bashfully as she closed the door with a soft thud.

 

_That red-headed bastard? Motherfucker._

 

He lifted his hand in goodbye and turned to walk back into the building solemnly when he heard her voice ring out like a bell against the rain,

“Hey Ben?” he turned on his heel to meet her gaze as she softly smiled at him from the lowered window of the car, “For forever.”


	2. Love, Actually

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You go wash off the evidence of the Great Sugar Cookie Massacre of 2018, I’ll clean up in here and then we can go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144005946@N02/31488074327/in/dateposted-public/)

“Scoot over.”

 

A soft whisper trickled through the heavy walls of Ben’s dreams. He let out a low grumble and rolled over to one side. Rey climbed in under the heavy, black blanket beside him and tucked her feet up against Ben’s heated skin, 

“Fuck!” he howled as her ice cold skin pressed against his, “Goddamn Rey, you’re freezing!” Rey snuggled in closer against him as he instinctually arched away, wrapping the comforter as close to her as possible,

“I may die if it gets any colder,” she whimpered, “You’re like a heater, hug me so I can get warmer.”

Ben rolled his heavy body towards her and lifted a muscular arm for Rey to tuck herself under. She nestled her head against his cotton covered chest and let out a contented hum as she drifted back to sleep. Crawling into bed with him had become a habit of hers over the last year or so. He could remember hearing her have nightmares through the walls after they first moved in together, it made his heart ache that as person who was as effervescent as Rey could suffer in her sleep the way she did. The first time she woke him in the middle of the night, she told him with a childlike whisper that she didn’t want to be alone. She never had nightmares while she was in his arms and Ben was happy to be able to provide her with some sense of security from her dreams. It wasn’t anything they ever talked about during daylight. He’d wake up in the morning in an empty bed, as if it had all been a dream. 

 

The next morning, he slowly blinked his dark lashes in the early morning light that streamed in from the window. Ben rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his longish hair as he yawned loudly. Stretching his long arms out across the bed, he felt that, like usual, the space next to him in the bed was unoccupied. He let out a long sigh and shook his head. He should have stopped getting his hopes up a long time ago. This was normal for them. She’d fall asleep on his shoulder, like usual. He’d carry her to bed and tuck her in, like usual. He’d tell her loved her then she’d crawl into bed with him, like usual. She’d be gone when he woke up and they would pretend it never happened. Like usual. 

 

A faint smell of burning began to waft its way through the door. The scent made his nose twinge and was quickly followed by the shrill beep of the smoke detector and a flurry of curses coming from the kitchen. Ben quickly placed his feet on the floor and ambled down the short hallway to find his favorite brunette standing on the kitchen counter on her tiptoes trying to reach into the center of the ceiling to disconnect the offending object. Her brows were furrowed together in a deep v as she stretched her fingers out as far as she could, letting out a slew of colorful expletives in the process. Ben let out a deep chuckle and strode into the kitchen and reached his long arms up and easily twisted the smoke detector off of its base on the ceiling. He held it out to her with a smug grin and a laugh as he took in her appearance. Her hair was in her signature weekend trio of buns that lined the back of her head and a collection of baby hairs that had fallen out of her buns framed her flour-covered face. 

“You chose NOW to try your hand at baking?” Ben asked her quizzically, “You remember how that went the last time, right? It took weeks to get the smell out.” She looked at him with a grimace as she snatched the device from his outstretched hand before they both burst out in a chorus of laughter. 

“You shut up, we are never speaking of this again. Come here,” she waved him over with a laugh and placed her hands on his shoulders, “Help me down, would you?”

He circled his large hands around her waist and lifted her back down to the floor. Rey dusted the layer of flour off of her tee shirt and stood with her hands on her hips as she surveyed the complete disaster in their kitchen. Flour scattered the counters with the remains of rolled out sugar cookies and a rolling pin with dozens of cookie cutters. A tray of said cookies sat on the stove, burned to a crisp,

“Well, fuck me. I just wanted to make some Christmas cookies to have during my Hallmark marathon,” Rey pouted, “So much for that idea.” 

Ben gently knocked his shoulder against hers, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled down at her,

“Chin up, kid. It’s Christmas Eve and the day is still young. How about we go down to Maz’s and get some cookies there and maybe grab a coffee while we are at it?” Rey’s eyes lit up like a little kid on Christmas morning,

“Really? I thought you had to go soon?”

“I’ve got a couple hours I’d be willing to kill with you. Plus, my parents won’t mind if I’m a little late, especially if their favorite Brit is the cause of my lack of punctuality,” Ben gave her a lopsided grin and a wink, “You go wash off the evidence of the Great Sugar Cookie Massacre of 2018, I’ll clean up in here and then we can go.”

 

An hour later, Ben and Rey were bundled up to battle the cold and ventured out into the gently falling snow to Maz’s café around the corner. They strolled down the street arm in arm as they discussed their Christmas plans,

“You mean to tell me that you’re going to spend all night tonight and all day tomorrow watching shitty romantic movies?” Ben pressed with a confounded look on his face.

“And drinking. You forgot the drinking.”

“Riiiight. What about Rose?”

“She is in Chicago with Finn visiting his family. You’re going to be in Connecticut. And Armitage,” she slowed her steps and chewed her lip thoughtfully, “Armitage is a shallow asshole who I am far better off without. So, yes. Shitty movies and drinking it is.”

The pair of them rounded the corner and into view of Maz’s shop on the corner across the street. Ben held the door open for Rey with a ding of the bell as they made their way into the cozy establishment. He reached up and tucked his fingers into the collar of her coat and pulled it down her shoulders to hang on the coat rack by the door with his own. The shop was calm that day with only a couple other patrons sitting at the tiny tables quietly sipping their drinks. Rey sidled up the counter and greeted the proprietor of the café with a sunny smile,

“Merry Christmas, Maz!”

“Hey there Miss Sunshine! The usual?”

“Please!” Rey beamed at the old woman before glancing to peruse the glass display at the variety of freshly made pastries Maz had behind the counter, “Can I get two dozen of the rolled sugar cookies if you’ve got em?”

“Oh dear, you didn’t try baking again, did you? You remember what happened last time,” the aging woman groaned, “If you let me know before you give it a go next time, I can make sure I have extra cookies on hand for you!”

“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks Maz,” Rey rolled her eyes with a smile. It was so like Maz to know every single going on in the neighborhood at any one time. She was wise beyond her years and had lived in Brooklyn Heights longer than any person could remember. Nothing ever got by her and sometimes Maz knew things about you before you knew them yourself. The old woman straightened the frame of her goggle-like glasses before beginning to fill a brown box with all the cookies she had, 

“Got any fun plans for the holiday, Sunshine?”

“Not really,” Rey said with a sad smile, “My best friends are going to be out of town and I don’t have any family here, so it will just be me, these cookies, and the Hallmark Channel.”

“What about that fancy Wall Street boyfriend of yours? What was his name…Hugs or something?”

“Ah. Armitage and I broke things off recently,” Rey let out a small chuckle.

“Oh, I am sorry dear.”

“Don’t be. I’m not,” Rey shrugged, “I did us both a favor. I just wish I could go back and tell myself to end it sooner, I feel like I wasted so much time with him.”

“Wasted time or not, it’s important not to dwell in the past,” the wise lady looked over her glasses into Rey’s eyes seriously, “The belonging you seek is not behind you, it is ahead. Dear child, I see your eyes and you already know the truth. Armitage didn’t care about anyone else but himself. You need someone who cares about you. There’s someone who still could,” she said with a nod to the corner of the café where Ben sat. Rey looked over her shoulder at his oversized frame folded up in a tiny chair behind the small table. Their eyes met for a brief moment and his face split into a wide grin. Rey looked back at Maz and shook her head with a laugh, 

“I don’t know Maz. I think there could have been something there before but not anymore. It’s too late.”

“It isn’t too late, kiddo,” Maz said sternly as she handed the box of cookies over the counter into Rey’s waiting hands. 

 

Rey wound her way through the tables to where Ben was sitting with his back against the wall. She plopped down into the wooden chair with a sigh, chewing on her bottom lip as she stared out the window into the swirling snow outside. They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment or two before Ben stood to fetch their waiting drinks from the counter. He returned to the table and slid her cup and saucer of Earl Grey in front of her and sat down across from her, taking a long slow sip of his flat white. Rey poured a splash of milk into her tea and absentmindedly swirled her spoon around the circumference of the cup as she twisted a strand of her hair in her fingers. 

 

Was Maz right, was it not too late? She had an inkling of a feeling ages ago before Armitage but she had been terrified of ruining the friendship that was so dear to her heart. She quickly glanced across the table at her best friend, meeting his honeyed-brown eyes for an instant. Looking down into her tea, she continued to rotate her spoon in small circles remembering the moment under the umbrella when she swore that Ben was about to kiss her. She softly smiled to herself as she recalled the mornings when she would wake up next to him in his bed and silently count the beauty marks that were dusted across his sharp features. She marveled at the soft shape of his full lips and he breathed deeply in his sleep. She’d resist the temptation to reach out and brush the strands of dark hair that hung over his face and masked the view of his thick, dark eyelashes. She’d give in to the allure of feeling his inky locks slide between her fingers and would regret it immediately. The gesture caused Ben to stir with a soft grumble and she’d soundlessly tiptoe out of the room and into her own before he opened his eyes. 

Those mornings had happened more than once and more frequently than she liked. Each time the temptation to touch him in a way that friends don’t do became stronger and stronger. Each time, she’d run away and quietly shut herself in her room. She’d stand with her back against the door, thumping her head quietly in frustration.

 

_You have a bloody boyfriend, Rey. Pining after your best friend officially makes you a shit person. Stop it, NOW._

 

She stirred her tea with a faraway look in her eye, lost in the thoughts of memories of those mornings in his warm bed, wishing that maybe one day, she could stay. 

 

“Rey!”

 

Ben’s voice jolted her back to the coffee shop with a start. She looked at him bewilderedly and let out a heavy sigh,

 

“You scared the shit out of me, Solo!” He cocked his head to the side with his brows furrowed in confusion, mild concern and amusement,

“You were definitely in it, kid. Where’d you go?

“Maz gave me some interesting advice that I’m trying to decide if I should take or not,” she stated as she lifted her cup to her lips to take a sip of her hot tea. Ben leaned back in his seat and whistled,

“If Maz gave you advise, you’d better listen,” he said seriously, “That woman knows everything and I mean everything. I’d bet you a hundred bucks right now that she’s right about whatever she told you. I got some advise from her a while back.”

“Did you take it?” Rey queried, leaning over the table towards him as he peaked her interest.

“No,” he smiled wistfully, “I have regretted it ever since. So, believe me. Do what the old woman says.”

Rey thoughtfully considered what Ben had said about regretting not doing what the wise old woman had told him to do. She wondered, would she regret not following her advise in the same way? She’d hear stories of old couples in the borough who had been friends first and then fallen in love. It was more common than she realized and if they could make it work, couldn’t they? She peered at Ben from over the edge of her cup as she took another sip and considered if it was possible that he still felt the same way. They were always affectionate with each other, probably more so than some people would think would be appropriate between friends. How would she even be able to tell? She was so clueless about it the last time that everyone else knew but her, now wouldn’t be any different. 

Rey decided with a sigh that she would wait for the right moment, a sign. Something that told her that it was the right choice to follow Maz’s advice and her heart. Being friends with Ben was effortless, as easy as breathing. Wouldn’t being more be just the same?

Ben stretched his arms far above his head with a loud yawn as he glanced at his watch,

“I’ve got a long drive ahead of me, kid. How about we get these cookies back home so I can get on the road?”

 

Yes. A sign. That’s what she needed.

 

She stood from her chair gracefully and slid her arms into her coat that Ben held out for her. She pulled her gloves onto her hands and offered a wave to the smiling woman behind the counter as the pair of them made their way back out into the snow. The flurries had increased in their intensity while they had been at Maz’s and the snow had started to pile up beneath their boots. They strode arm and arm down the block towards their street, pausing at a cross walk as they waited for the light to change. Rey rubbed her hands up and down her arms and bounced on the balls of her feet as her teeth began to chatter,

“Come on! Can’t this blasted light move any faster? I’m freezing my arse off!” 

Ben chuckled and shook his head,

“Buck up, kid, we are almost there. Plus, you look cute when you look like Rudolph.”

“The reindeer?” Rey chattered,

“No, my dentist. Yes, the reindeer. Dork,” he laughed, bumping her with his wide shoulder. Rey glowered at him adorably, reaching out to give him a slight shove,

“I…d-d-do n-n-not look l-l-like a rrreindeer!!” 

Ben guffawed loudly as she furiously hammered at his muscular chest, trying with all her might to get him to budge but it was as useless as a chihuahua barking at a Great Dane. He grabbed one of her hands and pulled her to him and wrapped his arms snuggly around her slight frame,

“Come here, let me warm you up a little bit. I’m a furnace, remember?” 

Rey snuggled her frozen cheek against his coat and closed her eyes as his body heat seeped deep into her bones. They stood together with her tucked tightly against him as they waited for the light to change. An older couple joined them on the corner as they lingered. Rey’s eyes met the older woman’s and she gave her a sunny smile. The woman beamed and smiled up at her partner,

“You two make an exceptional couple. Don’t they, Harry? Just marvelous.”

Rey let out a strangled chuckle as she tried to think of the nicest way to break it to the pair that they weren’t actually a couple. Ben cleared his throat and answered for her,

“Thank you. We’ve been together for almost two years. She keeps me on my toes,” he laughed. 

“That’s the secret young man,” the older gentleman told the younger man, “Make sure she’s keeping you on your toes and you always make sure to give her a proper kiss goodnight.”

“I always do sir,” Ben nodded with a smile. 

The light on the crosswalk changed from orange to white and the pair of them stepped off the curb as Rey smiled to herself from under Ben’s arm. 

 

_What kind of sign were you waiting for, Rey?_

 

As they made their way back to their block, the snowfall became heavier and heavier. By the time they made it to their stoop, they could barely make out the other buildings down the block. They tumbled into their cozy apartment and Rey immediately rushed over to the radiator, cranking it up to high. She held out her hands to the pipes to warm her freezing hands. 

Ben plopped down on the sofa and pulled his phone out of his pocket,

“Well damn, the snow has got pretty bad. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to drive now. It will take me three times longer to get to New Haven at the rate that traffic is going because of the weather,” Ben looked up at her expectantly, “Got any room on your roster of bad movies for Back to the Future? It looks like you’re stuck with me today, kid.”

Her face split into a triumphant grin and she bounced on the balls on her feet in excitement,

“You mean you want to watch Hallmark with me?” Rey waggled her eyebrows at him, “You won’t regret it.” 

Ben groaned loudly,

“I might but fuck it. Let’s do it. Let’s watch bad movies and drink.”

Half an hour later, Rey set a gigantic bowl of popcorn on their rickety coffee table with a cold beer for each of them. Ben trudged through the door as she settled herself into the couch cushions, a fresh layer of snow clinging to the inky waves of his hair. He toed off his boots and lumbered into the living room, tossing himself down onto the sofa and dropping the piping hot pizza onto the table with a plop,

“You’re lucky I love you kid, that snow is no fucking joke.” 

Rey leaned forward and pulled a gooey slice from the box, taking a massive bite with a coy smile,

“We both know that I wasn’t going back out there. If you didn’t we were probably going to starve,” she grinned as she pulled a strand of hot cheese from her slice and brought it to her lips. Ben’s mouth went dry as he watched as she slowly licked her fingers one by one, her plush lips lingering on the tip of her thumb. He cleared his throat loudly and picked up his beer to take a long drink,

 

“Which crappy romantic movie are we watching first?”

 

Ben was a good sport about The Christmas Ghost, at least better than Rey thought he would be. He watched intently without getting distracted by any outside sources, leaving his phone in his pocket the whole time. It didn’t take long into the movie before the commentary started and Rey began to question how she could shut him up.

 

“She’s cute.”

“Somebody feed the poor man, look how hangry he is!”

“Wait. He’s dead? Like, dead dead?”

“They keep touching. Are you sure he’s dead? I’m pretty sure that’s not how ghosts work.”

 

As the time wore on, Ben seemed to get more invested in the movie. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees as Rey curiously observed him from the corner of the sofa. 

“Wait. Someone murdered him? What the fuck? I thought this was a romance, Rey.”

“It is a romance, Ben,” Rey sighed deeply, rolling her eyes as she desperately tried to resist the urge to throttle him.

“She did it. No, he did it.”

“Jesus Christ, you’re bad at this game. Just shut up and watch it.”

 

_I know a way you can shut him up._

 

Rey sighed as her inner voice chimed in suggestively. Rey reached for another beer and took a deep drink, trying to wash away the image of her lips pressed against his in her mind. 

“Wait. He can’t move on, he loves her. This movie is bullshit,” Ben bemoaned from his spot on the couch. Rey chuckled softly, amused by how invested he was getting in the story. This didn’t go the way she thought. 

“It’s just how these movies go,” she offered him a sympathetic smile as she reached for another slice of pizza.

“Hold on. I thought he moved on with the dead chick.”

“He did but he didn’t.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. How is he back, is he still dead?”

“Dead as a door nail,” Rey deadpanned.

“If he’s dead, how are they kissing?” Ben looked over to her corner of the couch with an adorably confounded look on his face, “I don’t get it but I accept it.” He scooted his body closer to her and leaned in closely to meet her eye. Rey was breathless as he purposefully gazed into her eyes, 

“For the love of God, please don’t make me watch another one of those.”

Rey blinked slowly as her face melted into a smile,

“Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad, was it?” she teased. Ben let out a heavy sigh and leaned his head to rest on her shoulder,

“My aching heart can’t take another one. I can’t and you can’t make me.”

Rey laughed and her heart swelled because of his sweet sincerity, reaching for the remote to put on the next movie of their marathon. They munched their way through the bowl of popcorn and a couple more beers as they watched the adventures of Marty McFly and Doc Brown as they traveled back in time to 1955, forward to 2015, and back again to 1955. Rey migrated towards Ben on the sofa as they made their way through the trilogy and by the time Doc Brown met Clara Clayton in 1885, Rey was nestled under Ben’s muscular arm with her head laying softly against his broad chest. 

When the credits on Part III began to roll, the daylight had begun to dim outside, leaving only the twinkling lights of their shared Christmas tree to fill the room. Rey looked up from the empty pizza box and beer bottles on the coffee table to gaze up into Ben’s beauty mark-kissed face. She gave him a soft smile as he grinned down at her,

“Ready for another one? I’ve saved the best for last,” she said quietly.

“Bring it on, babe. Gimme the best you’ve got.”

She settled back against his chest as the Universal logo began to sweep across the screen. Her heart swelled with the gentle sound of piano came over the speakers and they heard the voice of Hugh Grant.

 

_If you for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling that love, actually, IS all around._

 

She swallowed thickly as she considered his words. There wasn’t anyone in the world who knew her better than Ben did. There wasn’t anyone she could see herself being as comfortable with like she was with Ben. Being around him was effortless, it always had been. Rey chewed on her lip as the movie’s intertwining love stories played across their television screen, finding herself distracted by her predicament with the man she was currently using as a pillow. 

She had broken things off with Armitage because things weren’t real between them and the man was incapable of thinking of anyone but himself. She sighed deeply as she thought of how much time she had wasted with him. Did she miss her chance?

 

_The belonging you seek is not behind you, it is ahead. It isn’t too late._

 

The words Maz had spoken to her earlier in the day echoed in her mind. Was the old woman right? Ben said that he didn’t take the woman up on advice she offered to him and had lived in regret ever since. She wistfully smiled as they watch Colin Firth make a plea in broken Portuguese to his love, Aurelia. 

 

_Enough dancing around this. Take a chance like he did with Aurelia. It’s time._

 

“Ben?” Rey whispered, lifting her head from his chest to look up into his eyes, “What was the advice that Maz gave you about that you didn’t take?”

 

Ben’s warm smile melted away, mashing his mouth into a line as he mulled over his answer. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking purposefully into hers,

 

“You.”

 

Rey’s breath caught in her throat with a stutter as his eyes flickered down to her mouth for an instant and then back up to her eyes. She looked up at him from under his arm in breathless anticipation as he leaned his face down towards hers, 

“What would you do differently?” Rey murmured as her heart hammered loudly in her chest.

“More of this,” he rumbled as he closed the gap between them and ever so softly pressed his lips to her cheek. The warmth of his kiss lingered as he lifted his lips and left a slow trail of kisses across her face in slow motion. First one cheek, then the other. Her forehead, her nose. Rey sat paralyzed, her eyelashes fluttering closed as Ben dragged the tip of his nose along the line of her jaw. He pulled away and lifted his hand to trace his thumb over the freckles across her cheek. He took a steadying breath as he brought his lips closer to her waiting mouth. She sighed in anticipation as she waited for his lips to meet hers in the dim light of the twinkling christmas tree but it never came. 

The ringing of a cellphone echoed from Ben’s pocket and tried to pull them from their spell. Ben leaned his forehead against Rey’s and let out a frustrated growl, silently seething with his eyes closed. Rey reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face,

“Don’t answer it. Stay here with me, please,” she implored him, eager to keep them tethered together in that moment. He let out a heavy sigh and pulled himself from her embrace, bringing himself to stand,

“It’s my mom.”

With pursed lips and a blackened mood, Ben strode out of the room and down the hall to his own. Rey sat silently on the sofa as the movie continued to play out the last few moments. Ben still hadn’t emerged from his room when the credits began to roll. She stood with a sigh and began to gather the pile of evidence from their day long movie marathon. As she was placing the last dish in the dishwasher, she heard Ben clear his throat from the edge of the hall,

“Rey, I’m so sorry,” he lamented with a faraway look in his eye, “I’m in trouble with Leia, I never called to tell them that I wasn’t coming. Naturally, she was a little worried.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Rey offered him up a sunny smile and a small shrug, “It’s probably for the best, though, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, maybe,” he mumbled with a sad smile, “Listen, it’s getting pretty late and I’m hoping to make it up to New Haven tomorrow morning if the weather will allow it so I’m going to hit the hay.” He walked up to Rey in the kitchen and wrapped her up in a firm hug, pressing his nose into her hair and inhaled deeply. He pulled away and began to stride down the short hallway in his signature long, loping gait.

“Ben?” Rey’s voice rang out like a bell. He paused with his hand on the doorframe and turned to meet her eyes, “You forgot to kiss me goodnight.”

Ben squared his shoulders and slowly but deliberately closed the space between them. He reached up to trace small circles across her cheek and ever so slowly leaned down to press his plush lips to the corner of her mouth. Rey breathlessly struggled not to melt into a puddle as he pulled away in a flash, offering her a small, lopsided smile as he closed his door. 

Rey threw herself down on her bed with a huff and tried with all her might to bring herself to sleep. The time ticked by endlessly as she tossed and turned under her covers. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Ben looking back at her. She felt the feeling of his breath so close to her mouth and behind her closed eyes, she never stood there like a coward. She felt the heat pool deep in her core as she imagined her meeting him halfway, finally meeting his lips with her own in a heated kiss. She ran her hands down her torso and tucked her fingers under her waistband, slowly reaching down towards her slick folds. She yanked her hand away with a grimace and a whimper.

 

_This isn’t what you want and you know it. Enough of this. It’s time._

 

Rey quickly sat up and placed her bare feet on the floor, making her way out into the hall. She went into the hall and paused with her fingers hovering over the door handle to Ben’s room. If she went in there now and finally closed the space between them, everything was going to change in a big way. Her heart thudded in her chest as her face split into a wide smile. This man and this moment…this was exactly what she had been waiting for. 

Rey traced her fingers over the cool metal of the knob, wrapping her hand around it slowly to give it a slight turn to open the door. 

Soft light from the street lamps reflecting off the freshly fallen snow streamed through the windows in delicate beams, illuminating the large figure laying motionless on the bed. Rey quietly tiptoed across the wood floors and silently lifted the blanket to slip her toes under the covers. Ben was sleeping soundly already, breathing steadily in the quiet snow-muffled sounds of the city outside. She inched towards his back and draped her hand softly across his bare skin, running her nose up the length of his spine. Ben let out a soft groan and slowly rolled towards her onto his back. Rey delicately traced her finger along his torso, following the smooth lines of the chiseled muscle she found there with a thrill. Her hand traveled up his chest and connected the space between each glorious beauty mark that were scattered across his body. She smiled with a thrill as she was finally touching him like had she always wished she could while she laid next to his sleeping form all those mornings. She swept her fingers gently across the line of his collar bones when his large hand clamped over hers,

“Rey, what are you doing?” Ben uttered, sounding incredibly awake. She pulled herself to balance herself on his chest, taking his cheek with her hand, running her thumb over the seam of his pillow soft lips,

“Finishing what you started,” she breathed, her voice barely a whisper. She leaned down slowly, eager to finally close the space between them,

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Ben implored her, his eyes flitting back and forth between hers,

“Ben Solo,” she stated sternly as she continued to run her thumb across his mouth, “I’ve never been more sure of anything.” Rey took a steadying breath, closed her eyes and softly pressed her lips against his. Their mouths began to move seamlessly together, starting out gently before the pace of their kissing increased with a wild fury. Their hearts beating like thunder as their hand wandered across each other’s bodies like the rain caresses the hillside. Rey gingerly dragged the tip of her tongue along the edge of his mouth eager to taste him and find out if it was a good as she had imagined. Their kiss deepened as their tongues tangled together, both of them pouring in every ounce of suppressed heat and love they had been holding onto for so long. Ben let out a gravelly moan as Rey gently dragged her teeth across his bottom lip, tugging on the soft flesh there. With a growl, he wrapped his muscular arm around her waist and flipped her flat against the mattress in a breathless heap. 

Ben’s hair hung in waves around his face as he gazed down at her with a wild look in his eye, his breathing coming in large huffs. He chewed on his bottom lip as he ran his large hand down her soft, freckled-dusted cheek, memorizing the electric feeling as his thumb grazed against the pliable flesh of her mouth. Rey peered up at him through her lashes and pressed her lips against the calloused skin of his thumb. Ben let out a strangled chuckle,

“God, I love you,” he rumbled. Rey looked up at the angelic man above her, his hair lit like a halo by the street lights that streamed in through the windows. Here, in this moment, it was finally clear. Ben, her best friend and confidant, keeper of her secrets and lover of her quirks, was the man she loved. She couldn’t believe that it took her so long to see. There was so much time she wasted when what she needed had been right in front of her all along. Rey’s eyes began to shine as she tried to blink back her tears,

“I love you too,” she let out a soft sob as a single tear trailed its way down her cheek, “Ben, I love you so much. I am so sorry it took me so long to see.”

Ben caught her tear with his thumb, gently wiping it away as he gazed down at her. He gave her a lopsided smile and pressed his mouth to hers for the softest kiss,

“I would have waited forever for you.”

Without warning, Ben brought his mouth to hers, devouring the whimper that escaped her as he tore his hands down her torso. He trailed his mouth down the line of her jaw, peppering kisses across her bronzed skin. Craving the feeling of her skin against his, Rey reached between them and wrapped her fingers around the hem of her oversized tee shirt, shedding it and tossing it to the floor. Her cheeks flushed as Ben’s eyes raked over her bare chest with a dark look,

“Fuck, they look just as glorious as I remember,” he growled before devouring the soft mound of flesh with his mouth. Rey shivered beneath him as Ben rolled the sensitive peak between his teeth and flicked the tip with his tongue. He grazed his mouth down the smooth expanse of her toned torso, planting a trail of hot kisses as he made his way. Rey’s breath hitched as Ben brought his attention to the apex between her thighs. She trembled as he drew the tip of his nose up the damp fabric of her black panties. Ben deeply inhaled the heady scent of her arousal with a deep moan and swirled his nose in small circles around the tiny bundle of nerves. He hooked his fingers around the hem of the fabric and pulled them slowly down the length of her thighs. 

Kissing his way back up her thighs, he immediately devoured her sex, lapping his tongue against her relentlessly. Rey squirmed against him and a shock of pleasure shot straight down to the tips of her toes. She keened beneath him as he delved his fingers into her cunt, slowly pumping his hand in and out as he continued to whirl his mouth against her clit. Chasing her climax, Rey suddenly went rigid as she breathlessly tumbled down from the precipice. 

Ben emerged from her center with a wicked grin on his face. He slowly dragged his hand across his mouth before languorously sucking her juices from his fingers one by one as his eyes burned into hers.   
Rey reached up and tangled her fingers into his raven hair, pulling his mouth down to her with a swift tug. She tore her lips from his and murmured breathlessly,

“More.”

She reached down between them and palmed his stiff erection that was straining against his sleep pants. Ben let out a guttural groan against her shoulder as she swept her hand across his length, reaching up to untie the drawstring to let him spring free. Catching her mouth with his, he twined his tongue with hers and he dragged the head of his cock along her folds, dragging an electric whimper from Rey’s lips. She shuddered with a gasp as he slowly eased himself into her, settling over her body as he sheathed himself to the hilt. Ben let out a gravelly grunt as he struggled not to come right then and there. Taking a steadying breath, he began to rock slowly against her. Rey rolled her body to meet him thrust for thrust, the movement propelling them towards the edge. Going rigid once more, Rey wailed as she tumbled down. Ben slowed his thrusts and quickly followed her as he found his own release with a animalistic grunt. 

Ben flopped down onto the mattress next to her, sweeping her up in his arms for a kiss, lazily swirling his tongue against hers. He peppered her face with kisses and tangling his long fingers in her chestnut hair. Rey let out a soft sigh and laid her head against his chest, cherishing the blissful feeling in her heart as she listened to his heart beat beneath her cheek. Lifting her head to meet Ben’s gaze, she bit her lip as he gave her a lopsided grin,

 

“I love you, Ben Solo. For forever.”

 

Ben blinked against the early morning light that streamed in from the windows, running his hands up his tired face and through his inky waves, stifling a wide yawn. He smiled to himself as he remembered the events of the night before. The feeling of Rey pressing her lips to his for the first time gave him a thrill that he’d never forget as long as he lived. The night was more than he could have ever dreamed of and he couldn’t wait to kiss her over and over for the rest of his life. 

He stretched his arms out across the bed and let out a stuttering breath when he felt the empty space beside him. Sitting up in a panic he mashed his mouth together in a thin line when he came to the realization that she was gone in the morning, like she always was. If it was a dream, it was so incredible, he wanted nothing more than to go back to it. He’d spend the rest of his life asleep if it meant he would be with her. 

“Scoot over,” her voice filtered into his thoughts like a bell and he looked up at her expectantly. She offered him a blinding grin before setting the pair of mugs in her hand on his bedside table. She slid under the covers and wound her legs around his as she laid her head on his chest, “You can calm down, I only got up to make us some coffee. You’re going to need the energy later,” she giggled mischievously.

“I was afraid that I dreamed it all,” he murmured into her hair. She lifted her head and rested her chin on his wide chest and seriously looked into his eyes,

“I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.”

Ben’s face split into a wide grin as he joyously wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers for a sweetly languorous kiss. Rey tore herself away and grinned,

“I don’t care how amazing the sex is, Die Hard still isn’t a Christmas movie.”

Ben guffawed loudly and shook his head,

“We’ve got the rest of our lives for me to convince you otherwise. Merry Christmas, dork,” he grinned rolling her over to kiss her over and over again.


	3. Always Been You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You ready?”
> 
> Rey breathed a sigh of relief and broke into a dazzling smile,
> 
> “You have no idea. Let’s do this thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144005946@N02/46376212542/in/dateposted-public/)

Christmas Day, one year later

 

Rey stood against the window, looking out into the snow covered garden. She smiled to herself as she ran her hands down the simple ivory bodice of her gown. Striding to the floor length mirror in the corner, she took a shaky breath as she inspected her reflection. The neck of her simple gown hugged the line of her collar bones to her shoulders. The long sleeves had a trail of delicate buttons from her elbows to her wrists. The unembellished skirt swept down to the floor and trailed slightly behind her, with a striking open back that accentuated the soft lines of her toned shoulders. She lifted her hand and placed a stray hair back into the simple knot it was tied into and gingerly felt to make sure that her hair piece was safely in place. Rose had worked so hard to wind the small white roses with the red berries, tiny pine cones and greenery together in order to bring a little christmas flair to her ensemble.   
Her makeup was simple, as it usually was and it was probably for the best. She didn’t need a boatload of mascara running down her face when she cried which she was positive that she was bound to do. Overcome with nervous energy, she started to pace in the small dressing room, desperate for the time to go by faster. It felt like hours later when the door creaked open and Rose stuck her head inside expectantly,

“You ready?”

Rey breathed a sigh of relief and broke into a dazzling smile,

“You have no idea. Let’s do this thing.”

Rey and Rose made their way down the hallway of the old stone manor to a grand staircase. Rose held the end of Rey’s train as she carefully tread down step by step. She could hear the soft chorus of a string quartet playing from the ballroom around the corner as they made it to the bottom of the stairs. The pair of them made their way down to the closed doors of the ballroom and stopped for Rose to straighten Rey’s dress and hair one last time. Her friend smiled up at her with tears in her eyes and gave her a firm squeeze of her hand,

“I’m so happy for you, Rey,” Rose beamed before grabbing her small bouquet and purposefully striding into the ballroom. 

Rey nervously positioned herself in front of the massive double doors, resisting the urge to bounce on the balls of her feet while she waited for the music to change. The song slowed and gradually transitioned into the next tune. Rey’s eyes fluttered closed as she took a slow, deep breath, begging for her dancing heart to slow down. She opened her eyes, squared her shoulders, and lifted her bouquet as the double doors slid open to reveal his face at the end of the aisle. 

The moment the doors opened, his face appeared anxious but as soon as his eyes met hers, both of their anxiety melted away. Without a single shred of doubt in her mind, Rey took a solid step forward to make her way down the aisle to her waiting future. The aisle was relatively short but to her, it felt like a mile long. She strode past element flower arrangements of white, red and green, smelled the scent of the hundreds of flickering candles and knew that there was a crowd of faces beaming as she made her way to him. There was so much around her but she only saw him. Her eyes never left his as she took measured steps, trying to keep her steps steady. After what felt like ages, she was finally in reach of him. Ben softly held out his hand with a wink. She slid her hand into his and turned to face him with a wide grin. 

They beamed at each other as Maz began their wedding ceremony. She told stories of house she witnessed their first meeting and how they danced around each other’s feelings for years before they both finally realized that everything they ever wanted was right in front of them. Ben looked at her longingly when his voice rang out as he made his promise to her, 

“Rey, sometimes I watch just the smallest things you do and think I am the luckiest man alive. I promise to be there for you, on cold winter mornings to warm you, on soft springs to watch our love grow, in our summers to play in the light of the sun, and in our autumn to kiss your fingers and say, it has all been worth it- every moment of our love. I vow to love you as your husband, for ever and ever and ever, and to know that as we write our story together it will be the greatest ever told.”

Rey took a steadying breath and mouthed “I love you” as Ben reached up to wipe away her tears. She drew in a shaky breath as she took her turn,

“Ben, it is clear to me now that everything in my life has led me to you. I think back on all my choices and consider even the bad ones blessed, because if I had done even one thing differently, I might never have met you and become your wife. I love you utterly, completely and madly - I love the way you look at me - I love to gaze into your eyes. It is only natural that I should always be with you as your wife. You are my love, and my guide, a true partner, a man that I will love, hold close, honor, kiss, and cry with for all the days of my life.”

Ben’s chin shook as his eye shined with unshed tears as he slid the delicate silver band onto her left hand up against the simple pear shaped stone and she pushed his simple gold band over his knuckle. She smiled up at him as her tears threatened to fall, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Their eyes never left each other’s as Maz triumphantly declared for the entire ballroom to hear,

“And so by the power vested in me by the great state of New York, it is my absolute honor to declare you husband and wife. Benjamin, please do us all a favor and kiss your bride.”

Ben gave Rey a wide grin and laughed,

“I’ve never wanted to kiss her more.”

He slowly took her face in his large hands, tracing small circles against her skin and gently brought his lips to her, sealing their vows and beginning the rest of their lives together.

“I love you, Rey Solo.”

“I love you Ben. For forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all who comment, share, and leave kudos!! It truly means the world to me!!!
> 
>  
> 
> Prompts used: 
> 
> I may die if it gets any colder. You’re like a heater, hug me so I can get warmer.
> 
> Let’s watch stupid movies and drink.
> 
> You’re kind of cute when you look like Rudolph. The Reindeer? No, my dentist, yes the reindeer.
> 
> Merry Christmas, dork.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for coming to check out this little ditty for the Reylo Trash Compactor Christmas Fic fest!!! This was so incredibly fun to write!! On top of it all, I made some amazing new friends that along the way who I am forever grateful for!!!


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